News In Brief

Putin, Erdogan to hold talks soonReuters, Moscow The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it expected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to visit Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin soon, but that no date had yet been agreed. Russia and Turkey are both major players in the conflict in Syria and in September reached a demilitarization deal that staved off a Syrian army offensive against the Idlib region.Israeli ex-minister pleads guilty to spying for IranReuters, Jerusalem An Israeli former cabinet minister admitting to spying for Iran on Wednesday in a plea deal in exchange for an 11-year prison sentence, the Israeli Justice Ministry said.Gonen Segev, energy minister from 1995 to 1996, was indicted in June. The Shin Bet internal security service said at the time had been recruited by Iranian intelligence while living in Nigeria and had "served as an agent".

Special N. Korean train leaves Beijing AFP, BeijingA special train used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Beijing on Wednesday as he wrapped up his fourth visit to China.AFP journalists saw the distinctive olive green train with a single yellow stripe leave a station in central Beijing, a day after Kim's arrival on a visit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of his expected summit with Donald Trump.

UN SC to discuss new Yemen missionAFP, United NationsThe UN Security Council will on Wednesday discuss a proposal for a new observer mission to Yemen to monitor a ceasefire and oversee a pullback of forces, diplomats said.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlined the proposal in a letter to the council seen by AFP after the Saudi-backed government and Huthi rebels agreed to a truce during talks in Sweden last month.